Bringing AI to Insurance: Dr. Chris Street Launches BrokerAssistAI System
When Dr. Chris Street, Professor of Applied AI at the Hill and Levene Schools of Business, began listening to his wife Tracy’s work-from-home calls, he didn’t expect it would lead to a tech startup. But after years of hearing her navigate the complexities of disability insurance, he noticed a pattern and an opportunity.
Tracy, a disability insurance analyst with over 25 years of experience, often fielded similar types of questions. “I told her, ‘You only ever get asked three kinds of questions,’” Street recalls. “‘What is...? What’s the difference between...? And which is the best option?’” That observation sparked the beginning of what would become BrokerAssistAI, an AI-based decision support platform designed to help insurance professionals make sense of dense policy language and everyday client challenges.
Street spent the past year developing a working prototype. Designed as a human-in-the-loop system, BrokerAssistAI doesn’t replace professionals, it supports them. The platform combines institutional knowledge with official policy documents to help users understand how to apply rules and respond to questions with more confidence.
“It’s meant to act like an expert mentor over your shoulder,” he explains. It doesn’t give directives; instead, it offers reasoning and options so users can decide what to do next.
Originally built for the disability insurance sector, Street soon discovered that large insurance companies, though intrigued, were unlikely to adopt the tool quickly due to long development timelines. After one executive explained it would take at least two years just to begin discussions, Street shifted his focus.
With guidance from colleagues and community contacts, he connected with a Regina-based insurance broker who immediately saw the potential. He says the Regina-based insurance broker immediately saw the value in the platform, recognizing it addressed a long-standing challenge. This led to discussions and eventually a formal partnership in July 2025.
Now officially part of the growing InsureTech sector, a category of startups focused on bringing innovative technology to the insurance industry, the team is working on adapting the BrokerAssistAI platform specifically for broker insurance. The project will progress through several key stages: first, transitioning and redeveloping the platform to meet the unique needs of broker use; next, conducting user testing and refining system responses based on real-world feedback; and finally, preparing for commercialization. The long-term goal is to offer subscription-based access to other brokerages.
The platform’s value lies primarily in two areas. First, it supports training and onboarding by helping new employees learn more quickly in the complex and detail-oriented insurance industry. Second, it provides mentorship and decision support by offering consistent, experienced guidance without taking senior staff away from their own work.
While Street continues to refine the system for industry use, he’s also bringing these lessons into the classroom. This fall, he’s launching a new course: BUS 335AI – Managing with Artificial Intelligence, where students will explore how AI tools influence decision-making across business functions. The course will include guest speakers, hands-on experiments, and discussions about the philosophical and ethical implications of AI.
Street’s work shows how innovation can come from unexpected places and how listening closely can lead to something big.